The McDonnell Model

The Republican Governor’s association held its annual meeting last week in Austin Texas. Among the attendees were, of course, the newly elected Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell. With both the New Jersey and the Virginia governor’s races over, the effects of those elections are still lingering. Bob McDonnell’s victory in Virginia is causing many to look at his campaign strategy with a mixture of awe and anticipation. With a clear and concise message, McDonnell was able to win over the median voter, and the election.

According to a recent article in Politico magazine, the McDonnell campaign was focused on the daily issues affecting average Virginians and not on cultural issues. While Creigh Deeds’ Democratic campaign focused on gay and women’s rights, the McDonnell campaign stuck to economic policy. And it was economic discussion that stuck most with undecided voters in Virginia on November 3rd. For this reason, Republicans are looking at the McDonnell campaign as a model for future GOP candidates.

But in order to understand the results of this election or of any election, one must look at the voters. One election theory discussed by Louis Menand of The New Yorker states that voters are simply not politically aware enough to make educated decisions about the candidates. So in turn, they base their vote on personality and outward appearance, not on the issues. The VA election both supports and disproves this theory. McDonnell was the most visible and the most energetic of the two candidates, his personality appealed to the larger majority of voters. But the GOP’s interpretation of the election disproves the theory. Republicans believe that voters were interested in the issues and voted for McDonnell because his economic plan appealed to their needs. If the GOP can pick a candidate whose personality strength matches his positions on the issues, than the McDonnell Model may work in the future.